On My Doorstep

 In my last post I mentioned how there are some places and subjects that I would never tire of photographing and I shared some images from my travels around Europe. Without a doubt I would be more than happy to spend days or even weeks photographing puffins or street scenes in Venice, Florence, Vienna or a host of other wonderful places. I also long to visit new locations, inspired by my own travels and by images shared online I know I would get so much pleasure exploring new places with my camera. However I have to be realistic, while there will be lots of opportunities to do this in future there will also long periods where I will have to stick to what is local or familiar.

I am privileged to live in a beautiful place, by the sea but close to varied landscapes, urban landscapes and  lots of wildlife. However when I look through my many files of photographs I realise that I have relatively few from my locality and I am missing opportunities to develop my skills and fulfil my passion here on my doorstep. Perhaps it is familiarity that means I sometimes fail to see the interest in what I see every day and that is a big error because the beauty  and interest is there and for people that I share those images with they will largely be new or unfamiliar so it must be worth me spending more time where I live. It doesn't matter if I go back several time to the same lake, lighthouse or park/reserve there will always be another angle or different light etc. So while I will dream of and look forward to travelling to new places I will also take more time to see what is on my doorstep.

Here are a few images of some of the wonderful places near me.

 

Liverpool waterfront and Albert Dock

West Kirby Marine Lake

Red Rocks

Meols shore

New Brighton Lighthouse

Tasty Treats

 I found this retro snack van irresistible, the idea of hot drinks and fresh donuts on a cold day, yum yum. However, tempting as that might sound the stall holder probably wished that s/he'd stayed home as there were no takers, at least while I was around.

It really is a striking colour too, certainly impossible to miss. I also think the scene looks good in high contrast black and white with the lights spelling out the word Donuts actually standing out as lights rather than painted on blobs of colour as they appear (to me at least) in the colour picture.

The Pumphouse Three

 

I haven't posted anything for a while now, the last few posts were from my night time shoot down at Liverpool's Albert Docks and before I move on to something else I thought I would share one more from that shoot.

This was my last shot of the night looking towards the Pumphouse. Normally there would be some smaller sailing vessels moored here but with an empty dock I have been able to capture some lovely reflections.

I have given the picture three different treatments. Firstly I have stuck with the bold and bright true to life colours and then in the second I have kept the settings just the same but reduced the saturation somewhat and in the final image I have used a black and white pre-set which gives the scene a real punch.

I like all three images, a lot. I can't pick a favourite but I would be interested to know what you think.

World Heritage Night

Liverpool's waterfront is a world heritage site a status that is well deserved. Central to that are the Three Graces which are (from left to right) The Liver Building, The Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building. I think they are really spectacular and look marvellous lit up at night. Liverpool is now a regular destination for major cruise lines and this would be the site that first greets visitors as they disembark for a tour of the city.

There is a debate about whether the heritage site status is a benefit to the city or not. On the one hand it is a recognition for the wonderful architecture and it helps to boost much needed tourism to the city. On the other hand it is argued that it creates a bar to innovation and development. I am sceptical about the second argument because if you draw back from the three graces you will see the development of hotels on one side and the new Liverpool Museum and Open Eye Gallery at Mann Island on the other all of which are great examples of stand out modern architecture. It may be that there is little room for further development along the waterfront but I think the new and the old combine really well.

Old And New Liverpool

While the city was bustling with shoppers seeking bargains in the post Christmas sales I headed down to the waterfront with my youngest son to take some photos of the fine buildings around the docks. 

In the first shot, viewed across Canning Dock you can see (from left to right) the Museum of Liverpool, the Open Eye Gallery and  No1 Mann Island. In the background you can make out the top of The Liver Building, The Cunard Building and part of The Port of Liverpool Building which together are known as Liverpool's Three Graces and have earned the City Waterfront World Heritage status. 

As you can see from the water in the dock it was very windy today and so it wasn't possible to get any clear reflections. I will go back another time when the conditions are calmer, maybe in the evening when the lights are on and see what shots I can get then.

I was going to save the second picture for another day but the words seemed appropriate given that it was a windy day. This was shot inside the Museum of Liverpool and the words which circle around the balustrade of the central staircase are lyrics from "Song For John" by Yoko Ono

Nicely Framed

Canon 24 - 105mm 1:4 L IS USM

ISO 100  28mm  f/14  1/125 sec

ISO 100  45 mm  f/14  1/125 sec

ISO 200  28 mm f/11   1/400 sec

More pictures today from the waterfront in Copenhagen.

These were taken in Amaliehaven or Amalie Garden which sits between the Amalienborg Palace and the river. 

Firstly looking out towards the Opera House, but unlike the other day when the focus was on the Opera House itself today the focus is on the sculpture which is one of four abstract columns created by the Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro who also designed the fountain in the centre of the second image.

As we were enjoying our visit to the garden my son commented that the sculptures had a "Vex like quality" which he explained relates to structures in the game "Destiny" and I am sure anyone who has played the game will be able to see what he means. I really like these structures and the impression that under the flat exterior there is lots going on inside. 

In the second picture you can see the dome of the Amalienborg Palace which is nicely framed by two of the pillars. In this picture I also like the fountain which is almost like a cushion of spray which is nicely illuminated by the evening sun.